Archive for the ‘GALA Articles’ Category

Cathy Roma: I Am Because We Are, Part 2 – Choir Behind Bars

Posted on: November 17th, 2018 by Cathy Roma GALA Articles No Comments

(above) UMOJA Men’s Chorus (Warren Correctional) prepares for the World Choir Games in Cincinnati; the international panel who came to the prison to ajudicate these singers awarded gold medals in the categories of spirituals and gospel. This article was originally printed in Choral Journal as part of the October 2018 issue, permission was granted by […]


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Cathy Roma: I Am Because We Are, Part 1 – Choral Feminism

Posted on: November 12th, 2018 by Cathy Roma GALA Articles No Comments

This article was originally printed in Choral Journal as part of the October 2018 issue, permission was granted by ACDA to share here. Learn more at acda.org/choraljournal. I am the product of a K-12 Quaker education received at Germantown Friends School in Philadelphia. My Quaker education taught me to listen to and value diverse voices, to […]


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More than Festival, a Mission in Action

Posted on: November 5th, 2018 by Steve Smith GALA Articles No Comments

GALA. Most of us in North America use it as shorthand for the LGBTQ choral movement. Many of us also use it as the name of that Festival we attend every four years. Like Kleenex, it’s a brand that’s become a common noun for the product. The nonprofit organization that is GALA Choruses Inc. is, […]


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Are We Doing Enough?

Posted on: October 31st, 2018 by Robin Godfrey GALA Articles No Comments

2018 has been a difficult year, as we watch the unending attacks on our democracy and many of the values we hold dear—respect, tolerance, decency. Each day seems to bring a new outrage, and we are emotionally exhausted by the indignation that seems to have become a permanent part of daily life. The arts have […]


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Joining Hands and Hearts Across Washington

Posted on: September 26th, 2018 by Chelsea Sadler GALA Articles No Comments

A few blocks off the main drag through Yakima, WA, on a tree-lined street, The Seasons Performance Hall, for one July night only, is the hottest club in the Valley. The former house of worship, which still sports stained glass windows and rows of pews (now with added cocktail tables), is vibrating with the energy […]


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Various Voices: My First LGBTQ+ Choral Festival

Posted on: August 28th, 2018 by Jerry Kennedy GALA Articles No Comments

When I joined OurSong, the Atlanta Gay and Lesbian Chorus in 2014, they had just returned from Ireland having performed in their first Various Voices festival. I heard wonderful stories of friendship, new bonds with singers from other countries, and an overall life changing experience. So naturally, when I heard that we were going to […]


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The Beijing Queer Chorus Visits Portland!

Posted on: August 7th, 2018 by Reid Vanderburgh GALA Articles No Comments

March 3, 2018 Day retreat. OMG, it’s becoming so real, they’re coming! We watched a short video produced for us by the Beijing Queer Chorus. Real people, saying hello to us. This makes it so much more real. March 5, 2018 As Bob says, “The most important rehearsal of the term,” the Monday after retreat. […]


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